Fastening device



May 23; 1944. E. GISONDI 2,349,547

FASTENING DEVICE Original Filed July 24, 1941 26' 30 INVENTOR..Flfldiuzcl 6218072452 Patented May 23, 1944 FASTENING DEVICE Emanuel.Gisondi, Larchmont, N. Y.

Original application July 24, 1941, Serial No. 403.871. Divided and thisapplication May 20, 1943, Serial No. 487,706

6 Claims.

This invention relates to fastening devices, and particularly to thoseof the type adapted for use in building construction for attachingWall'board and similar penetrable sheet material to studs or other partsof the structure.

This application is a division of m co-pending application Serial No.403,871 filed July 24, 1941.

An object of the invention is to provide a fastener of this character ofthe so-called blind type wherein prongs are provided which penetrate thepanel from the rear and clench over within the panel without penetratingcompletely through it, and accordingly without being discernible fromthe front of the panel.

The invention contemplates the provision of an adjustable fastener ofthis character, and which not only enables the attachment of thepaneling or wall board to be greatly simplified, but which, because ofits adjustability in several directions, enables the attached board tobe held properly in position and capable of bein shifted to permit easyattachment of the wall board, and also capable of shifting itself tocompensate for expansion and contraction of the support to which it isattached.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein several of the embodiments of theinvention are shown, Fig. 1 is a front view of one form of fasteningdevice attached to a stud; Fig. 2 is aface view of the pronged memberforming a part of the fastening device; Fig. 3 is a sectional view onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4is a front view of a modified form of fastening device; Fig. 5 is a raceview of the pronged member forming a part of the fastening deviceshownin Fig. 4; and Figs. 6 and"? show several forms of prongs foremployment as part of the pronged members of Figs. 2 and 5; and Fig. 8is a sectional view through a piece of sheet material, showing how thefastener member prongs bend therein.

In the structure of Fig. 1, a piece of lumber such as a stud, is shownat I, and attached to the face of the stud by the two spaced nails orother fasteners I9, is a sheet-metal, stamped-out frame 5 constitutingthe body portion of the fastening device. This frame is adapted to holda pronged plate such as shown at It in Fig. 2,

or as shown at 30 in Fig. 5, or any other similar type of prongedfastener constructed according to this invention. The combination of theframe 5 and the pronged plate It supported thereby, provides a sliding,floating, invisible fastening device of the socalled blind type. Theframe 5 is formed near its opposite ends with two nail slots l1, saidslots being tapered and being widest at their ends whereby the frame maynot only shift transversely of the stud l on the nails l9, but alsoangularly, if suchmovement is needed.

The sheet-metal pronged plate I6 is provided with a plurality ofradially extending tongues or prongs, which are hereinafter described indetail, and which curl or clench over within the wall board or otherpenetrable sheet material to thereby support the wall board. Thefastener also has two integral tongues 29, which are bent around the.segmentally shaped side members IQ of the frame as clearly indicated at20a. This arrangement, in which the pronged plate is slidably confinedbetween the frame 5 and stud I, allows vertically shifting movement oradjust ment of the pronged plate relatively to the frame 5, but alsopermits angular shifting movement of the plate.

The prongs ID formed on the plates it and 30 may be made in a number ofdifferent forms to suit various requirements and particularl to suit thematerial adapted to be engaged by them. The prongs used are preferablymade with a number of stepped sections; the Wider portion 25 of theprong is situated adjacent to the base or body of the plate on which theprong is formed. Located at a predetermined distance from the point ofconnection of the prong with the base or body of the fastener, is a stepor shoulder 2t, and projecting therefrom is a thinner or narrowerportion 21 which may gradually taper until it terminates in aneedle-like point 28. The

: arrangement of this type of prong is such that in use the needle-liketermination or point 28 first penetrates into the wall board and startsto bend over therein. When the prong is inserted into the wall board tosuch an extent that the shoulder 26 starts to enter into the board, agreater resistance to penetration occurs and bending of the narrowerportion of the prong takes place. 'The actual point of bend of thenarrower or thinner portion of the prong is the shoulder 26.Accordingly, the position of this shoulder with relation to the entirelength. of the prong is that which determines the extent of penetrationof the prong within the wall board. Thus, if it is desired that theprong penetrate for a considerable distance through the board, theshoulder 26 will be located relatively close to the point of joinder ofthe entire prong with the base portion of the plate, such as is shown inFig. '7. On the other hand, when a relatively shallow penetration of theprong into the board is desired, the shoulder 25, or point of bend ofthe prone, will be relatively remote from the point of joinder of thepron to the base portion of the fastener. Thus, by the position of thisshoulder, or of several Of such shoulders, as shown in Fig. 6, thebending of the prong can be controlled, and resultantly the extent towhich the prong penetrates into the wall board is also governed.

It will also be noted that the prongs are inclined or partl bent over,as clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 8, so that as they are forced into thewall board the bending in the direction in which they are alreadyinclined increases, so that a clenching action of the prongs will takeplace Within the body of the wall board.

' are extended to penetrate the beam, said slots In Fig. 4 is shown asupporting frame for" a pronged plate, said frame being indicated at 29and being composed of Wire. This frame functions similarly to thesheet-metal frame '5, and has arcuately arranged side members 3! onwhich the curled-over portions of the tongues 26 on the pronged fastenerplate 38 are located and which are capable of Vertical and angularmovement thereon. The prongs l onthe plate 30 are similar inconstruction to those previously described.

While the pronged plates l3 and 30 are ;adapt ed for use in connectionwith frames of vthe types shown at 5 and 29, these pronged plates arealso capable of use by being directly and fixedly attached to the studsof other supports. For this purpose the plates may b perforated, as at 8and at several other points to enable nails to be driven through them tothereby fasten them directly to the lumber.

In use the prongs ill on the plates 16 and 3,0 are bent laterally,substantially on the lines 32 so that they project forwardly and arecurled over toward one another as indicated in- Fig. 3. The wall boardis then driven onto the prongs, which curl over within the board withoutpenetrating entirely through it. The plates l6 and 30, being shiftableon the frame, and the frame being shiftable on the stud or other supportto which it is secured. provides an adjustability which not only greatlyfacilitates simplified attachment of the wall board panels, but alsoholds the panels with a floating action during expansion of the frame orsupports to which the fastening members are attached.

What I claim is:

1. A fastener for wall board comprising a retaining member secured to abeam by means permitting bodily shifting movement of said memberrelative to the beam, a fastener comprising a sheet metal prongedelement slidably engaging said retaining member and mounted for shiftingmovement relative thereto, the prongs on said fastening member adaptedfor penetrable engagement with wall board.

2. A fastener for wall board comprising a frame for attachment to theface of a beam, said frame having slots through which fastening nailsare extended, said slots having angular portions whereby the frame canbe bodily shifted on the nails either transversely of the beam Oranguhaving angular portions whereby the frame can be shifted on thenails either directly transversely of the beam or angularly thereto, aflat sheet metal fastener maintained between the back of the frame andthe face of the beam, said fastener having prongs for engagement withthe wall board and having portions extending around parts of the frame,saidportions being slidable on the frame whereby the fastenermaybeshifted relatively tothe frame, thelportion .of the frame'engaged by thefastener parts being segmental whereby the fastener may be shiftedangularly on the frame.

a. A fastener for wall board comprising, a frame-held" fiatwiselyagainst a support, means for attaching said frame to the support wherebythe frame may be angularly shifted on the support, a sheet metalfastener forengaging the Wall board, said fastener being held by theframe and adjustable relatively thereto, said. fastener having tongueportions bent around part of the frame and forming guides for directingthe shifting movement of the fastener on the frame.

5. A fastening device for wall board comprising, a frame ofsubstantially rectangular form for attachment to a support, said framehaving spaced side bars and a central opening located between them, apronged plate located in the opening and provided with prongs extendingforwardly therethrough, said pronged plate having tongues extendingbetween the side bars and the support and bent around said side bars andover the front of the same to hold the pronged plate attached to theframe, the side bars being arcuately curved to permit angular shiftingmovement of the pronged plate Within the open ing in the frame. g I

6. A fastening device for wall board comprising, a sheetmetal frameof'substantially rectangular form, said frame consisting of end membersconnected by integrally formed side bars, the end members being formedwith lengthy slots for the passage of fastening nails to attach theframeto a support, said slots being widened toward-their ends to permitangular movement of the frame on the fastening nails, a pronged metalplate disposed within the frame and provided with tongues locatedbetween the back. of the side bars and the face of the support to whichthe frame is attached, said tongues being bent around the side bars andextended forwardly over the front face of the same, the side bars beingarcuately curved to permit angular shifting movement of the platerelative to it.

EMANUEL GISONDI.

